Redefining the role of the media agency

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Super Bowl Ads Still Giant and Patriotic

It’s that time of year again, when America and indeed much of the rest of the world sit up and take note of the Super Bowl where, this year, the New York Giants take on the New England Patriots. But the game itself is not where our interest lies (although here are some big hit highlights for you anyway because we’re nice like that)…

The real battle is taking place during the many breaks in play- the battle of the advertisers. Coca Cola versus Pepsi. Chevy versus Chrysler. Ferris Bueller versus- wait, what?

These days, Super Bowl ads are a tradition in their own right and they epitomise the harmony that exists between the mediums of TV and online. Yes, everyone still watches the ads during the match in America while the rest of the world needs to watch them online, but we also now find that every year many of the ads are available online before they air live. Some are released in full and some are drip-fed to us in teaser form. This creates a massive buzz among people online and gains much of that Holy Grail for advertisers- earned media. There are even websites that are purely dedicated to the viewing, rating and slating of Super Bowl ads.

This year, some of the biggest online buzz has followed a teaser campaign centred on Mathew Broderick reprising his role as Ferris Bueller from that 80’s classic. Much speculation surrounded what brand the full ad would reveal and, once it was discovered that it would be for Honda, speculation kicked off again as to what creative idea would be executed and, finally, the full video was revealed online. At the time of writing, both the teaser and the full video already have over 5 million views on YouYube. This is before the first live TV airing during the match has even taken place.

It would be unforgivable to waste the opportunities afforded online here as the cost for just a single 30 second TV spot during this massive event can reach a staggering $3.5m. The cost of leveraging this with online activity pales in comparison, while the benefits are plain to see.